Page 58 of Montana Memory

I swallowed hard. “I really am sorry.”

She didn’t say anything, didn’t offer me any absolution. Just watched me, eyes unreadable, as I turned and walked away.

By the time I reached the truck, the first tear slipped down my cheek. I got the door open, hands shaking as I slid behind the wheel. And then they spilled over completely. Silent, unrelenting, unstoppable.

Because no matter how much I wanted to change, no matter how much I wanted to be better—I couldn’t outrun the past.

And I sure as hell couldn’t erase it.

Chapter 19

Hunter

The wind outside rattled the cabin windows, but I barely noticed. My focus was on the papers I was looking over until Jada got home from town—the proposal Lucas had sent about Warrior Security.

I had to admit it was impressive. The plan was well-thought-out. And Lucas was offering me a permanent position with it.

A team. Roots. Something I hadn’t let myself consider in a long time.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted it. Wasn’t sure if I could evendoit.

The front door creaked open. When I looked up, Jada stood in the doorway, her arms wrapped around herself, her expression raw.

Not angry.Wrecked.

I was at her side in an instant. “Hey. What happened?”

She pulled away from me, shutting the door behind her, pressing her back against it for a second before exhaling hard. “I ran into Kenzie Hurst in town.”

Shit. I stepped back. “Are you okay?”

She let out a sharp, humorless breath. “I don’t think I get to be ‘okay’ about this, Hunter.” She crossed the room, dropping onto the couch like her legs couldn’t hold her up anymore. “I knew I did bad things, but hearing them come out of her mouth…” She shook her head, eyes fixed on a spot on the floor. “It’s worse than I thought.”

I sat beside her and leaned forward, forearms on my knees. “What’d she say?”

“That I left her threatening messages. Trashed her house. Hired someone to push her down. Locked her in her bathroom with arattlesnake.” Her voice wavered, and she blinked rapidly, like she was trying to hold back tears.

I’d seen people carry guilt before. Knew how it could eat at you, make you feel like you didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as the people you’d hurt. But I also knew that getting stuck in that place didn’t do a damn thing to fix what was broken.

Jada exhaled shakily, rubbing at her arms like she was trying to warm herself up. “How could you bring me here?” she asked, her voice quieter now, more broken than angry. “Knowing she lives nearby?”

I didn’t answer right away, making sure she was looking at me before I spoke. “Because this was the safest place for you to heal,” I told her honestly. “This was somewhere we didn’t have to watch our backs every second. It was quiet. Secure.” I held her gaze. “You needed that. And Lucas let me know on the first day Kenzie and Jensen were out of town for a while. I knew they were getting back soon. That was one of the things I wanted to talk to you about.”

She swallowed hard, nodding slightly.

“I’m sorry. I was about to tell you yesterday when it started raining.” I exhaled slowly. “The important thing is that she’s not pressing charges. I confirmed that with Lachlan?—”

“Just because I’m not sitting in jail doesn’t mean I can forgive myself.” Jada pushed off the couch, pacing like she couldn’t stand still another second. She was unraveling, fists clenching and unclenching, her breaths sharp and uneven. “I can’t stay here. Not now. Not now that I know everything.”

I stayed where I was, keeping my body loose even though every instinct told me to pull her into my arms. “Jada?—”

“No, Hunter.” She spun to face me, her dark eyes tormented. “You don’t get it. I wasn’t just some desperate woman in a bad relationship—I wasvicious.” Her breath hitched. “I left her threats. I trashed her house. I—” She pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes, like she could erase the memories she didn’t even have. “I poured animal blood on her walls.” Her arms wrapped tightly around herself. “Who the hell does that?”

I let the silence stretch, letting her burn through it, because I knew if I jumped in too soon, she’d shut down.

And then, barely above a whisper, she said, “I put a rattlesnake in her bathroom.”

A heavy pause settled between us. I let the weight of it sink in, absorbing it all.

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